The football analytics outlet Pro Football Focus was not very high on the Buffalo Bills’ 2021 NFL draft class.
PFF reviewed the seasons the first-year Bills players put together on the field for the team. Combining their findings head-to-head against the rest of the league, the outcome was not great.
Buffalo’s rookie class finished at the No. 27 overall spot.
Here’s PFF’s breakdown:
Why they’re ranked here: The Bills draft class’ biggest contributions came from their top three picks, as Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham were each part of a strong defensive line rotation while Spencer Brown played 726 snaps on the offensive line. Rousseau recorded 30 pressures and 38 defensive stops, but injuries limited Basham to just 200 snaps in total. Brown played over 600 snaps at right tackle, and although he allowed just one sack, he gave up 30 pressures and accrued a 51 PFF pass-blocking grade.
How their top pick fared: Rousseau flashed the kind of athleticism and size that makes him a problem for offenses to deal with, as he was a useful part of Buffalo’s defensive front. He was particularly impactful in the run game, but his pass rush was more inconsistent. He posted an eight-pressure game but also has five games in which he failed to record any pressure at all.
The Bills have had better first-year impacts under their current front office led by head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane than they got in 2021. Tre’Davious White’s first season seems like only yesterday.
While Rousseau did flash, he certainly hit a “rookie wall.” Down the stretch, Rousseau did improve a bit. He had a sack, tackle for loss, eight total tackles and a pass defended in his final two games. Once the postseason hit, he went quiet again, but the hope will be that he takes his experiences into Year 2 and improves.
That same concept applies to Basham. At his end of season press conference, Beane noted that he challenged Basham heading into the offseason. Basham should see every opportunity to take hold of a bigger role next season, but he’ll have to earn it. The team could be banking on him doing so.
But it wasn’t all bad for the Bills. PFF did name one rookie they liked. It was Brown:
Best value pick: Brown became a starter on the Bills offensive line, spending most of his time at right tackle but even filling in at left tackle when needed. He recorded two elite run-blocking performances, which was his stronger area of play, and was rarely a liability in pass protection.
[lawrence-related id=97387,97385,97381]